About food in Japan

Japanese tea (日本茶） + English tea (紅茶） = ? Lupicia tea shop, Jiyugaoka (自由が丘）

Japanese people have tea for years and years. Green tea (ryokucha, 緑茶) is the most typical Japanese tea (nihoncha, 日本茶), as many know. In the world, or even in Japan, we have different types of tea; English tea (kocha, 紅茶), Chinese tea (chugokucha, 中国茶), herb tea.

How will it be? if we mix two types of tea... Japanese green tea + English black (? considered as "red" in Japan) tea.
The answer is here.

Tea shop Lupicia created a kind of blend tea from Japanese green and Assam tea. It is named "Jiyugaoka (自由が丘） after its flagship shop's located area, known as quite residential town with sophisticated fashion and interior boutiques in Tokyo.

Look at the tea leaf, surely it includes both green and black ones mixed together.

The taste and flavour also has recognizably different types of tea. First the fresh green tea comes into the mouth. Then it remains flavour of English tea in the mouth.

Can you imagine it ?

Surely it is tasty, recommendable and interesting tea, truely a good "East meets West" product.

The tea house Lupicia offers wide selections of tea from across Japan and world. Tea leaf or bags are displayed by type of tea in the large space. Try different types of interesting unique tea selections. On the upper floor, the tea salon is located.

What I got there;

Original blend tea Jiyugaoka (自由が丘) as described above, Apricot Barley (あんず麦茶） and Grapefruit Green (グレープフルーツ緑茶）.

 

Shop name: Lupicia

Address: 1-25-17 Jiyugaoka Meguro-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.lupicia.co.jp/

 

Machiya restaurant - Mukadeya(百足屋), Kyoto

I had a short trip to Kyoto in this summer.
In Kyoto, where traditional style buildings are still alive, we can find "machiya"(町屋）, traditional town house. Sometimes machiya is used as restaurant, cafe or even spa.

Mukadeya(百足屋, literally meaning centipede house) is one of these restaurants, located in 5minute-walk from Karasuma staion, center of Kyoto. One of the charateristics of machiya is its small entrance (5-10 meters width) and long depth space  as twice to four times as the entrance width, had been organized because of the taxation system in a few hundreds years ago.

It is known that the house was used by a kimono trader and it has been restored as a restaurant.
After a space with high tabels, and a welcoming room, I had a table in tatami floor room with a view of its small Japanese garden. The next of this room is former "kura" (蔵）, old storehouse.

Speciality of Mukadeya is called obanzai(おばんざい）, traditional home cooking menu in Kyoto. It is not always true that obanzai menu at restaurants are inexpensive. Dinner courses especially are considered as a kind of Kaiseki. But we can enjoy obanzai lunch at Mukadeya at reasonable cost.

 

Japanese course meals at upscale restaurants always remind us "the season".
The late summer plates made me feel cool...

The last plate is the restaurant's speciality rice with black means.
It brought with nice smell of Japanese cypress from the wooden box

Defenitely it is recommendable address in Kyoto to taste local specialities of the ancient capital in the traditional town house.

Restaurant name: Mukadeya
Address: 381 Mukadeya-machi, Nishiki-koji Agaru, Shinmachi tori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
Website in Japanese: http://www.kurochiku.co.jp/inshoku/shinmachi/index.htm

 

Kakigori （かき氷） - Chimoto

The summer in Japan still continues.
It is hard to be outside for long time during day...

Kakigori(かき氷）cannot be missed as sweets and as one to cool us down during this hot summer.

Kakigori is shredded ice with sweet syrup.
It is available at some cafe especially featuring Japanese sweets or food stall at summer festivals.

For the syrup, strawberry, melon, milk and green tea flavours are typical ones.

Chimoto, a traditional sweets house in Toritsu-Daigaku, a residential area inTokyo provides incredibly big moutain of Kakigori during summer. The volume of heaped ice is double or triple as much as normal Kakigori dish. In the photo, the tea spoon is normal size...

The size makes every guest amazed Can we finish it? Don't worry, the shredded pieces of ice are very light and quickly melted in the mouth. It is not a difficult task to finishe a bowl, although it is not easy...
Two flavours of syrup are on top; milk and green tea.
The green tea is high quality, real tea but not tea flavoured syrup.

At the bottom of the bowl, we find "shiratama" (白玉、white dumplings） and "an" (餡, Japanese beans paste).
They are the joy at the end of the dish and are unique point of Kakigori at Chimoto.

The tea room is very small and has only 10 seats. You might have to wait for a hour until getting the big mountain Kakigori. It could be worth waiting so long. But please be careful, not to dry up yourself...

Another specialty of Chimoto is Yagumo mochi (八雲もち）, rice cakes made of cane sugar and walnuts and wrapped by bamboo skin. This is available throughout a year and do not have to make a que to get some pieces...

 

 

 

 

 

Sweets shop name: Chimoto
Address: 1-4-6 Yagumo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo

Depachika (デパチカ） - Avocado shrimps don (丼） from AOcafe

Depa-chika (デパチカ） is a kind of Japanese slang but it is important for food lovers in this country. It is abbreviation of "デパート地下食品売り場"(depart chika shokuhin uriba = food corner on underground floors in major department stores). In order to attract store visitors as many as possible, major department stores in Japan compete in the selection of food stands on their underground floors. Some can be one from other regions in Japan such as cake shops from Kobe, Sapporo or from other parts of the world; France, Italy, Korea or China. Others would be from traditional grocery or upscale restaurants in Tokyo.
Anyway, if we go to food corners in the major department stores, we are surely able to find something high quality and rate to find in any other place.

Today I found very unique and could-be strange food at "Tokyu Foodshow"(food corner of Tokyu department store) in Shibuya.

 

It is called "Avocado shrimp don"(アボカド・シュリンプ丼）. Avocado is not traditional food in Japan. I wondered how the fresh product can go with rice
It is packed in a paper box with a handle like this so we can bring the lunch box everywhere we want.

The avocado shrimp don comes from a tea house AOcafe in Aoyama.

Rice is on the bottom of the box and it is cooked with Hojicha (Japanese grilled tea). So the rice is not white color.

The first step to prepare the meal is put avocado, shrinps and vegerables onto the cooked rice.

Then mix all of them well... until pieces of avocado are crushed into very small pieces.

Following advices by the food corner staff, I put the sauce at the last of mixing process.

The tast is never bad rather I like it. Surely I will buy it again.
But I have no idea about this food origin...

It cannot be Japanese traditional food at least.
Is it modern Japanese food ?
Can anybody answer to my question?

    

To enjoy more variations of Avocado shrimps don, as my original version, for the second half, I added nori (海苔、dried seaweed), sesame and wasabi. That was also tasty and maybe better for health.

At AOcafe food stands in Tokyu Foodshow, some more don(丼）menu are available such as Avocado salmon, Natto and minched meat. All are innovative food but surely healthy ones.
Let's try the new world of taste

Shop name: AOcafe Tokyu Foodshow, Tokyu Department store Shibuya Toyoko

Address: 2-24-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Website: Tokyu Foodshow http://www.tokyu-dept.co.jp/foodshow/

Other foods I already introduced are also available at "Depachika" in Tokyo.

Les MIGNARDISES at Daimaru Tokyo

Linked page: http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2009/03/les-mignardises.html

 

Mamegen at Tokyu Foodshow

Linked page: http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2008/05/mame--mamegen-d.html

 

郷土料理（Kyodo ryori, local specialty） - JAPAN'S TASTY SECRETS issued

Local specialty is called as "郷土料理"(kyodo ryori) in Japanese. In north or south, seaside or mountains, we have variety of kyodo ryori by region by region. To introduce such local specialties from farms, mountains or fishing villages in Japan, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries issued a guide book of kyodo ryori in English on June 2009. The 65 pages publication features local specialty of each 47 prefectures in Japan with photo and brief explanation. Many of them are casual food such as noodle, nabe (pot), manju (Japanese style cake) and ones can be seen only in the region.

The book will be distibuted at airports in Japan, Yokoso Japan! booth at internatioanl travel fairs held at major cities in the world.

The electronic version is available on the internet.
To download it, please click here.

Related link:
Rulal Development Planning Commision website (Japanese)
http://www.rdpc.or.jp/kyoudoryouri100/

Wagashi (和菓子） - Shimizu (清水） in Kagurazaka

Wagashi(和菓子） is the generic name represents all kinds of Japanese traditional sweets. It has been developped for centuries with tea ceremony schools. As it has been often served with green tea, many kinds of wagashi are very sweet.

Unlike traditional sweets in other parts of the world, wagashi attracts people not only with the taste but also with aesthetic appearance. We traditionally appreciate the beauty of four seasons. The mind is reflected in the world of wagashi. Hence traditional high-end wagashi masters create different products season by season, some times using seasonal ingredients.

Shimizu, a very traditional wagashi shop, is located in Kagurazaka, central Tokyo. Arriving in the shop after a minutes walk from Kagurazka subway station, we feel that we had a time trip to Edo era. The house exterior, inetrior and sweets made us imagine the ancient world. All of the small pieces in the showcase are fancy. It must be hard to select some from the attractive choices.

Finally I bought four different pieces. During summer, it has more products looks cool, like jelly.

The most impressive work is tiny "firefly" in the center of the square-shape jelly.

It never be something unexpected, but should be there. The master dipicts a firefly lighting in the grass and the dark and he puts the world into a small piece of sweets.

How just a piece of sweet can be so romantic like this 

I wanted to gaze the piece with joy for longer but I enjoyed having it as well.

Many kinds of wagashi are fresh and it is better to consume them within a short time after your purchase.

It is regrettable to finish it but I am looking forward to finding another piece in different seasons there.

Shop name: Shimizu
Address: 110 Yaraicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Tofu (豆腐) – how to make it?

Tofu, which is made from soya beans, is one of the best known Japanese foods.

It is quite popular as igredient of miso-soup or healthy side dish. It has never been lacked in traditoinal Japanese diet. But even for Japanese, we do not know well how it is made.

Today I joined a specially occasion to learn how to make “tofu” and to try to make it by ourselves

 

What provided to us at the beginning were only 3 items; a paper cup, a small plastic spoon and a small packet of clear liquid. That’s enough to make tofu? Let’s see…

 

The clear liquid, called “nigari(にがり, bittern)”, is essential ingredient as coagulant to make tofu. It contains minerals come from sea water. To be surprising, ingredients for pure tofu are this mineral waters and warm soy milk only But for making high quality, yummy tofu, it is very important to mix up these two ingredients very quickly and evenly as soon as the liquid is poured into soy milk in a paper cup. After we had a short lecture and demonstration how to move a spoon in a small cup by the tofu master, we reviewed and practiced the steps several times with an empty cup, because our chance to have soy milk is only once but no time is given to look back how to do it.

 

We had to take the process very quickly to succed in having fine piece of tofu.

I　did not have time to take photo of this process…

I followed the instruction and took all steps without fail, maybe.

After ten minutes since warm soy milk was poured into my cup, finally it looks like and smells like tofu!　

It was really very short time experience to learn how tofu is made. But it was very interesting.

Of course we tasted the own made tofu. The warm piece of my tofu was much better than a cold factory-made tofu that we can find at supermarkets.

 

Tempura (天ぷら） - Ginza Shinohalu （銀座 しのはる）

Tempura is "deep-fried food" in Japanese style. It is one of the most recommendable Japanese food for non-Japanese people. I believe that many people like it, as long as you do not mind food with oil and flour.

If you would like to have tempura food in the least expensive way, it is to get them at supermarkets. They could be also available at any kind of Japanese restaurants. If you want the best and fresh ones prepared by specialists of tempura, it is better to go to a "tempura restaurant".

Typical ingredients for tempura cooking are shrimp, fish, vegetable such as eggplant, Shitake Japanese mushroom, sweet-potato, pumpkin.

Shinohalu in east Ginza, just a block away from famous Kabuki theatre, is a Japanese upscale restaurant specialized in tempura cooking.

It is often featured by TV programe and magazines because of the high reputation for carefylly selected fresh seasonal ingredients cooked by professionals. However the lunch time, it is available at reasonable cost from Yen 1000 to Yen 2000. That is definetly value for money.

One day my lunch was "Zeitaku(lavish) Tendon" (tempura on top of a bowl of rice). It costs less than Yen2000 even with two big pieces of shrimp, a piece of fish, some vegetable tempuras, all freshly-fried in front of me at the counter table.

Restaurant name: Ginza Shinohalu

Address: B1 floor, M & S building 4-13-11 Ginza, Chuo-ku Tokyo

Website: http://www.ginza-shinohalu.com

Related story: Kakiage (かきあげ）

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2008/08/kakiage-9483.html

Omiyage (お土産) - Rokkatei (六花亭） from Hokkaido

In Japan we have a long bank holiday weekend on May, called Golden Week.
This year 2009, I had 5 days off in a row from 2nd to 6th of May. Some other people had longer one adjoining another weekend or another bank holiday 29th of April.

Anyway after the long holiday, it is likely that Japanese people exchange a box of sweets from their holiday destination each other. That is called "Omiyage"(お土産, souvenir). Therefore everywhere in major tourist sites when we travel across Japan, we are able to find box of local sweets suit for Omiyage at hotels airports and souvenir shops etc.

Rokkatei (六花亭) is one of the most popular sweets house in Hokkaido （北海道), the north land. Dairy products are specialities of the region and sweets with cream, butter from Hokkaido must be good quality ones.

The most-well-known product by Rokkatei , I believe, is "Marusei butter sand"(マルセイバターサンド).
The name "Marusei" came from the butter producer name used for the sweet. Rich butter cream mixed with dried raisin is sandwiched with two pieces of biscuit.

If you have one, you must become a fan of it!

White chocolate made from fresh milk of Hokkaido is another speciality of the house.
According to the company, they are the first producer of white chocolate in Japan from 1968.

Not only the tasty chocolate is, the package is also the reason why this is highly appreciated as Omiyage from Hokkaido. Each flavour chocolate has different illutst of local spieces of flowers.   

Another choice for Omiyage could be this box with two flavours mixed; white and strawberry. Two kinds of flower are depicted on the wrapping paper and each piece of chocolate is shaped in the flower petals.

Rokkatei shops are located only in Hokkaido region. In Tokyo occasionally the productes are available at major department stores and supermarkets, otherwiese it is sold through online shop. We do not have many chances to get the good chocolate products. That is why we are very happy when we get Rokkatei products as Omiyage from Hokkaido.

Rokkatei website: http://www.rokkatei.co.jp  

六花亭マルセイバターサンド【10個入】 【0428_GWレビュー】 

六花亭の人気チョコレート！六花亭 ストロベリーチョコ ホワイト【0428_GWレビュー】

******************  Find accommodation in Japan  ***************

OSAKA / NARA / SAPPORO / TAKAYAMA / TOKYO/YUFUIN 

YAKUSHIMA / NOZAWA ONSEN / NISEKO / NIKKO /

HIROSHIMA / MATSUMOTO / KYOTO / KANAZAWA / ISHIGAKI ISLAND /

HAKUBA / FURANO / BEPPU /

 

Wagyu (和牛 Japanese beef) - Meat Yazawa

Hamberg and steak...it is not really considered as Japanese food. The menu is still quite familier for Japanese nationals and what is provided at the restaurant Meat Yazawa is surely Japanese food.

Beef cattle raised in Japan is called "wagyu(和牛, Japanese beef)" and among Japanese it is considered as the highest quality of beef. At restaurants or supermarkets, if you have choices in origin of beef, you will find that the Japanese beef is the most expensive. Even among wagyu, it is also categorized by quality and the price differs by the quality. Needless to say, famous brand beef such as Kobe, Matsuzaka is the highest quality among wagyu brands but Japanese beef even from other parts of Japan is still expensive compared with imported ones for example from Austraila and United States.

Meat Yazawa is originally a meat packing wholeseller and it runs a restaurant on the Meguro riverside in Gotanda. The restaurant is proud of serving only the highest quality (A5) beef there. However the price is surprisingly inexpensive and that attracts a lot of people enough to make a que line in front of the restaurant.

At a corner of the restaurant, trophies and plaques, as the proof of high quality beef breeded, are displayed.

According to the information at the restaurant, they recommend medium-rare cooked hamberg, because it is the best way to taste the high-grade meat.

With the egg york, it was an unforgettable plate...

Restaurant name: Meat Yazawa
Address: 2-15-13 Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagwa-ku, Tokyo
Website: http://www.kuroge-wagyu.com/my/